1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a remote starting control apparatus and a starting control apparatus and more particularly to a remote starting control apparatus to be installed in a vehicle having an immobilizer function and a starting control apparatus having an immobilizer function.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, vehicles including a theft prevention function called an immobilizer have been growing in number. To provide the immobilizer function (for an engine), an ignition key 1 having a transponder 3 storing a specific key code and having a transmission function, contained in a grip section 2, a key cylinder 4, an immobi amplifier 5 attached to the key cylinder 4 for extracting the key code from the ignition key 1, an immobilizer section 6 storing the specific key code and having a theft prevention function, and an engine control section 7 for performing control of engine starting, etc., are required as shown in FIG. 13.
When a driver inserts the ignition key 1 into the key cylinder 4, a key insertion signal goes high and the immobilizer section 6 receiving the high signal transmits a pulse-like start signal to the immobi amplifier 5 via a signal line L1. FIG. 14 is a timing chart from the instant at which the ignition key 1 is inserted into the key cylinder 4 to the instant at which an enable signal is output to the engine control section 7.
The immobilizer section 6 may transmit the start signal upon reception of an ACC signal which goes high when the ignition key 1 is turned to an ACC output position or an IG signal which goes high when the ignition key 1 is turned to an IG output position rather than upon reception of the key insertion signal (high).
Upon reception of the start signal, the immobi amplifier 5 supplies power by electromagnetic induction and starts the transponder 3 of the ignition key 1 inserted in the key cylinder 4, thereby extracting the key code (unique to the ignition key 1) stored in the transponder 3, and outputs the extracted key code together with a clock signal to the immobilizer section 6 via a signal line L2.
The immobilizer section 6 determines whether or not the key code (unique to the ignition key 1) sent from the immobi amplifier 5 matches the key code stored in the immobilizer section 6 (key code collation). If the immobilizer section 6 determines that the key codes match, the immobilizer section 6 regards the driver inserting the ignition key 1 into the key cylinder 4 as the authorized driver, and gives an enable signal for enabling the engine to be started to the engine control section 7. If the key code sent from the immobi amplifier 5 does not match the key code stored in the immobilizer section 6, the start signal is again transmitted to the immobi amplifier 5 (repeated at a maximum of about 100 times every about 100 milliseconds).
Upon reception of a starter signal output from the key cylinder 4 after reception of the enable signal, the engine control section 7 performs starting control of a starter motor; in contrast, if the engine control section 7 receives the starter signal with the enable signal not received, the engine control section 7 does not perform starting control of the starter motor.
Thus, if the key code stored in the transponder 3 of the ignition key 1 does not match the key code stored in the immobilizer section 6, the engine cannot be started. Thus, if an unauthorized ignition key or ignition switch is directly connected, the engine cannot be started and vehicle theft can be prevented.
On the other hand, a remote starting control apparatus for starting an engine by remote operation is commercially practical. As shown in FIG. 15, upon reception of an engine start instruction signal from a portable transmitter 19 carried by a driver, a remote starting control apparatus 18 supplies pseudo signals corresponding to an ACC signal, an IG signal, and a starter signal output when an authorized ignition key 11 is turned to a starter output position to a signal line L3 of ignition switch and transmits the pseudo signals to an engine control section 17.
Accordingly, if the driver does not insert the ignition key 11 into the key cylinder 14 and not turn the ignition key 11, the engine can be started simply by transmitting the engine start instruction signal from the portable transmitter 19.
However, to add the remote starting control apparatus 18 to a vehicle having the immobilizer function as shown in FIG. 13, the key code stored in the transponder 3 of the ignition key 1 needs to match the key code stored in the immobilizer section 6, namely, the authorized ignition key 1 needs to be inserted into the key cylinder 4. Thus, if the pseudo signals (pseudo signals of ACC signal, IG signal, and starter signal) are given to the engine control section 7, the engine cannot be started; this is a problem.
To solve such a problem, the following invention is disclosed: The key code matching the key code stored in the immobilizer section 6 is registered in the remote starting control apparatus 18. Upon reception of an engine starting instruction by remote operation, the key code is transmitted from the remote starting control apparatus 18 to the immobilizer section 6 and the enable signal is sent from the immobilizer section 6 to the engine control section 7. (For example, refer to JP-A-10-176642.)
In the invention described in patent document 1, mode switching (switching from the usual operation mode to a program mode for registering a key code) is performed. When the program mode is set, if the key code unique to the ignition key is output from the immobi amplifier, the output key code is input and registered.
However, when the key code output from the immobi amplifier is input, the key code may be unable to be normally input and unable to be normally registered because of reception of the effect of noise, etc. If the key code is not normally registered, it becomes impossible to start the engine by remote operation, of course.
To check whether or not the key code is normally registered, the mode may be switched from the program mode to the usual operation mode and remote operation may be actually performed. However, the check work is very burdensome. If the key code is not normally registered (namely, the engine cannot be started by remote operation), it is necessary to again switch the mode and again perform registration work from the beginning.
By the way, some immobilizer sections enable a plurality of key codes to be registered. For example, not only the key code set in the master key of the ignition key, but also the key code set in a subkey can be registered. Usually, the key code set in the master key is registered in the immobilizer section by the manufacturer, a dealer, etc., and the key code set in the subkey is registered by the user.
Thus, the key code is registered not only in the remote starting control apparatus, but also in the immobilizer section. Of course, to register the key code in the immobilizer section, still the key code may not be normally registered because of reception of the effect of noise, etc.
If a plurality of key codes can be registered in the immobilizer section, it is also made possible to previously register the key code unique to the remote starting control apparatus in the remote starting control apparatus and later register the key code in the immobilizer section. This eliminates the need for registering the key code unique to the ignition key in the remote starting control apparatus as in the invention described in patent document 1; instead, it becomes necessary to register the key code unique to the remote starting control apparatus in the immobilizer section. Therefore, the key code may not be normally registered in the immobilizer section because of reception of the effect of noise, etc., as mentioned above.